Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for facilitating the drainage of the waste water holding tanks in a recreational vehicle, and more particularly to an improved sewage removal adapter which includes the capacity to direct a back-flushing stream of water back into the holding tank dump tubes to clear any blockages existing in the dump tubes, as well as to flush the dump tubes out.
More and more people are enjoying the use of recreational vehicles today. The term "recreational vehicle," commonly abbreviated as "RV," is an all-encompassing term used to describe the variety of motorhomes, travel trailers, and campers present on highways today. In these recreational vehicles, users generally attempt to take many of the comforts of home with them to anywhere the open road leads to. One of these comforts is the comfort of indoor plumbing, which can (and typically does) include everything from a sink, to a bathtub or a shower, to a toilet.
In all but the smallest of recreational vehicles indoor plumbing is indeed found. Most larger recreational vehicles have the entire spectrum of plumbed facilities, often including two sinks, a toilet, and a combination bath/shower. The design of the plumbing system of a recreational vehicle is much more complex than the plumbing in a typical home, since the recreational vehicle must include holding tanks both to store fresh water in, and to store waste water in.
Waste water is of two different types: gray-water, which is waste water from sinks and showers or baths, and black-water, which is wastes from the toilet. In most recreational vehicles, gray-water and black-water are stored in two different holding tanks. These gray-water and black-water holding tanks must of course be drained periodically, and most recreational vehicle areas include dump stations into which the gray-water and black-water holding tanks may be drained.
A typical recreational vehicle has a three inch dump tube from the black-water holding tank connected to one side of a three inch dump valve, the other side of which is connected to the main dump outlet connection. A one and one-half inch dump tube from the gray-water holding tank is connected to one side of a one and one-half inch dump valve, the other side of which is also connected to the main dump outlet connection. The main dump outlet connection has an annular outlet connector with pins extending from the outer diameter thereof to facilitate attachment of a sewage removal adapter connected to one end of a flexible holding tank drain hose, the other end of which is connected to a dump station inlet.
While drainage of the gray-water holding tanks is typically uneventful, drainage of the black-water holding tank is frequently difficult. Since the black-water holding tank contains solid as well as liquid waste from the toilet, it is not uncommon for the dump tube, the slider valve, or the main dump outlet connection to become blocked. Blockages of the dump line from the gray-water holding tank may occasionally occur, but by far the most common blockage is in the dump line from the black-water holding tank, particularly a blockage in the black-water slider valve.
Blockage in the dump line from the black-water holding tank can occur when the black-water holding tank is less than three-fourths full before dumping. Sometimes such blockages can be cleared by filling the black-water holding tank and using the increased pressure to clear the blockage. If this tactic is unsuccessful, the alternative is to attempt to clear the blockage manually, which is not a particularly pleasant job.
It is accordingly the primary objective of the present invention that it provide a mechanism for easily and conveniently clearing a blockage in the dump lines from the gray-water and black-water holding tanks. It is a further objective of the present invention that it operate without necessitating either the refilling of the holding tanks, or the removal of the sewage removal adapter from the main dump outlet connection, to clear a blockage in the dump lines. It is a still further objective of the present invention that it be simple to use, and that it be operable by a single individual, without requiring any special skill or substantial muscle strength to operate it.
The present invention should be of durable and long-lasting construction, and must require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user. It is also an objective that the present invention be of inexpensive construction to allow it to be easily affordable to all recreational vehicle users, including those such as older people who may be on a fixed income. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the present invention be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.